Car-door.



' J. MAPES.

CAR DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. 1915.

Patnted Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. MAPES.

CAR DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. 1916.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- m w 3 m ran snares rare QWKQO JOHN MAPES, OF ALEDO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, OF ONE-HALF TO ZALES S. MGGINNIS, 0F ALEDO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-DOOR.

LZZOASG.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JonN MArns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aledo, n the county of Mercer and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car doors and has special reference to improvements in the car door on which Patent No. 1,132,202 was issued to me March 16, 1915. The object of the present invention is to improve the mounting of the car door and permit the door frame, as well as the door, to swing to and from the car so that, after movement of the door and the frame toward the car, movement along the car will be prevented.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the lmproved car door in position upon a car;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken ust below the upper track;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the inner surface of the door.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective new of a portion of the lower track;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective new of the lower carriage.

A portion of the car is indicated at 1 and the door opening is shown at 2. At one side of the door opening is a stop bar or jamb 3 and on the side of the car at some distance from the opposite side of the door opening is a similar stop 4. Extending along the side of the car above the door opening and resting upon the upper ends of the stops 3 and 4 is a track 5 consisting of a bar or rail secured rigidly to. the car and having a flat upper surface. Below the door opening and extending along the side of the car is a seco-nd track 6 consisting preferably of a metallic plate having its upper and lower edges doubled on themselves so as to project-over the outer surface of the plate and form overhanging flanges 7 and 8. The lower flange is cutaway at intervals throughout its length, thereby providing notches or open ings 9 through which water may escape so that rain or other moisture cannot collect in the track and freeze so as to clog the op eration of the door. The door frame consists substantially of an inverted U-shaped Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917. Serial No. 88,341.

bar 10 having the upper ends of its side members turned inwardly and doubled upon themselves to support rollers 11 adapted to run upon the upper track 5, a brace or bar 12 being secured to and extending between the said upper ends of the frame so as to prevent spreading of the same. The lower portion of the frame is disposed immediately above the lower track 6 and the lower end of the door 1.3 is connected thereto by hinges H, as shown, whereby it may have a slight vertical movement relative to the frame at right angles to the car. Upon the sides of the frame, near the upper ends thereof, are enlargements 15 having racks 16 formed on their inner faces and these racks are engaged by pinions 17 which are secured upon the rock shafts 18 journaled near their upper ends in bearings 19 on the door and near their lower ends in bearings 20 on the lower end of the frame. Pinions 21, similar to the pinions 17 are secured to the lower ends of these rock shafts and engage racks 22 projecting outwardly from the lower carriage 23, the said carriage consisting of a bar or metallic strap having its upper and lower edges, at its ends, projected above and below the said racks 22 to engage within the runways or guides presented by the flanges 7 and 8 of the lower track. The intermediate portion of this carriage is reduced in width, as shown at 24, so that the edges of the carriage between its ends will not engage the track and, consequently, the carriage may travel smoothly in a track which has sagged through long continued use or by reason of other conditions. A lever or operating bar 25 is fulcrumed upon a rivet or post 26 secured in the car door near the upper end thereof, and above and below the said post, blocks 27 are swiveled to the said operating bar or lever. Links 28 connect the said blocks with the cranks 29 on the rock shafts 18. To the lower end of the lever or operating bar 25 is hinged a hasp 30 adapted to swing to and from the door and provided at its free end with a slot adapted to engage any one of a series of staples 31 projecting from the door. A. lock 32 may be engaged in the staple over the hasp to hold the member and the operating lever in engagement with the has A weather strip 33 is secured to the side of the car at one side of the door opening and this weather strip serves as a stop to prevent movement of the door after the same has been closed upon the door opening and also serves to prevent the entrance of moisture or other elements between the door and the car body to reach the interior of the ear. Upon the rear side of the door, I also secure metal plates 3% which project over the inner edges of the door frame and thereby effectually seal the slight space between the sides of the door and the frame against the weather.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when the door is closed, it fits between the stop or bar 3 and the weather strip 33 and lies close against the car above the lower track 6, the upper end of the door lying under the upper track 5 and the frame being slightly inclined so that its upper portion passes in front of the upper track 5 and its lower portion fits between the jamb 3 and the strip 33. When the door is to be opened, the lock 32 is removed and the hasp 30 swung outwardly out of engagement with the staple 31. The operating lever or bar 25 is then swung to the left, thereby acting through the links 28 and the cranks 29 to rock the shafts 1S and cause the pinions 17 and 21 to travel out wardly upon the racks 15 on the frame and the racks 22 on the carriage 23, respectively. The door and the lower portion of the frame will thus be swung outwardly to clear the strip 33. The door and frame may then be slid along the tracks 5 and 6 to uncover the door opening, after which the operating lever or bar 25 is swung to the right so that the door and the frame will move toward the car and seat between the strips 33 and 4. The rollers 11 permit the lower portion of the frame 10 to swing outwardly to the extent necessary to clear the strip 33 while the carriage 23, by its engagement with the flanges 7 and 8, will prevent detachment of the door with its frame from the car. The described arrangement will force the door firmly against the side of the car and over the door opening so as to effectually close the same while at the same time the parts may be very easily manipulated to uncover the said opening.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a car door, the combination with a car having a door opening, of strips secured Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

to the ca at the sides of the door opening, a frame mounted to travel longitudinally of the car and to swing toward and from the same to seat between or be withdrawn from the said strips, a door carried by said frame, means for moving the frame and the door, and weather strips secured to the inner surface of the door and projecting over the inner edges of the frame.

2. The combination with a car having a door opening and tracks above and below said opening, of a carriage mounted in the lower track, a frame disposed 7 track, means at the upper end of the frame for supporting the same above the upper above said 7 track, a door carried by said frame, and cooperating means mounted upon the frame, the door and the lower carriage for effecting movement of the frame and the door to and.

from the car.

3. The combination with a car having a door opening and tracks .on the car above and below said opening, a carriage mounted in the lower track, a door frame disposed.

above the lower track and movable toward and from the car, means at the upper end of the door frame for supporting the same on the upper track, a door hingedly mounted within the door frame, racks on the frame near the upper end thereof, other racks on the lower carriage, rock shafts journaled in bearings near the upper end of the door and at the lower end of the frame, pinions on said rock shaft engaging the said racks, and means on the door for operating said shafts whereby to move the door and the frame laterally toward and from the car.

ft. The combination of upper and lower tracks, a bar slidably mounted in the lower track and having its ends only in engagement therewith, a frame disposed above said track and having its upper end mounted to travel along the upper track, a door hinged at its lower end to the lower end of the frame, rock shafts journaled upon the door and the frame, laterally extending racks on said slidable bar and the upper portion of the frame, pinions on said rock shafts meshing with said racks, and means for rocking said shafts.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN MAPES. [1,. 8.]

Washington, D. 0. 

